Digital Beans Donates £500 to Support Future Entrepreneurs in Kent

Digital Beans donates £500 to business support charity The Kent Foundation. Piperis Filippaios, who started his first business at an early age, received help from The Kent Foundation at a vital time.

While studying at Kent University, Piperis set his sights on becoming a successful entrepreneur. At the end of his third year as an undergraduate and the start of his Masters degree at the University, he started a new website called uFlog.

The website was targeted at students to help them buy and sell items on campus for free, with any income coming from advertising. Like any university student, finance was tight and Piperis approached The Kent Foundation for help.

They agreed to give him a grant of £150 to help him purchase some advertising to increase awareness of the site. However, although uFlog was being used by students, he struggled to get businesses to advertise.

A bi-product of this relationship with the businesses though, meant that he started receiving requests to help them with their digital marketing instead.

Digital Beans Donates £500 charity supporting Kent's Young Entrepreneurs

Piperis said: “Like any start-up, it was tough getting it going and The Kent Foundation gave me the boost I needed. Setting uFlog up led me in a direction I had not expected. Getting businesses to advertise was hard, but I started to receive requests to help with their digital marketing instead. This set me on the journey I am on today. Because of this, it led me to evolve my business into uTargeting, which was the start of my current digital marketing agency – DigitalBeans. So that £150 grant has led me to where I am today.”

Digital Beans, which is located in Canterbury, now employs three staff and has a number of clients helping them with organic and paid search and social media strategies including Search Engine Optimisation, Google AdWords, Paid Social Media Advertising and Retargeting.

Piperis added: “The business has been steadily growing and I am fortunate to be able to now offer something back as a thank you for the help The Kent Foundation gave me when I needed it. This is why I am donating £500 to them, so that they can help other young people in their business journey as well.”

Stuart Tanton, the Operations Manager at the charity, said: “The Kent Foundation, over the last ten years, has grown into the number one charity for supporting young people under the age of 30 in business. It is great to know that Piperis benefited and valued our support, and has created a successful business. It is essential our charity continues to offer the next generation the same opportunities Piperis had. His generous donation will go directly towards our volunteer business mentoring service which will support other aspiring young people to achieve success in their businesses.”

Instant Courier Service App UniRunners Crowdfunding Campaign on Seedrs

The UniRunners Crowdfunding Campaign on Seedrs has now launched. The instant courier service app launched towards the end of last year and has had some great traction since.

What does the UniRunners App do?

Users of the UniRunners app can choose any item to be delivered to them. Items range from favourite local foods, bespoke items and commercial brands. Initially targeted to students, UniRunners is a perfect solution for money conscious students. Rather than having part time drivers UniRunners have been able to keep a steady growth with full time drivers. Ensuring that the food and other products/brands arrive intact and on time. UniRunners allows the user to order any item they desire or they can choose from the pre-approved list. This means users can have their preferred meals rather than the limited menus competitors provide.UniRunners Crowdfunding Campaign on SeedrsAfter a successful beta launch primarily targeting students in Canterbury, Kent UniRunners have decided to raise their first round of investment. They aim to hire staff and focus on developing the app to make it more scalable in order to target other student populated towns across the Country. It is a brand new type of marketplace which allows business owners to list their own items and target directly to their preferred audience. It creates an instant 24-hour marketplace for local commerce and SMEs whilst concentrating on the user experience.

So far UniRunners have raised nearly 50% of their target from over 50 individual investments. UniRunners have overcome a difficult hurdle and are predicted to have a successful campaign. You can take a look a the UniRunners crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs here…UniRunners Crowdfunding Campaign on Seedrs

 

Purrfect Animal Services of Kent

Purrfect Animal Services of Kent

Hi, I’m Clare and I run Purrfect Animal Services of Kent, an animal care service based in Faversham. It provides Pet Sitting, Dog Walking and Animal Day Care services in the East Kent area.

I came up with my business idea after I graduated with an Animal Science HND. I was frustrated working in dead end jobs, not earning enough money, and not being able to use my knowledge of animals and the skills I have gained in my working life. So, last year I took the leap and decided that I was going to create a job for myself, be my own boss, and build a business using my love and compassion for animals.

I have 10+ years of experience with animals, with a particular interest in cats. I have had many of my own pets over the years, volunteered at animal sanctuaries and shelters, worked on a farm, gained plenty of practical experience with a range of animals, and studied hard for several qualifications and certificates over the years – which all my customers are shown during their consultation. All this has helped me to provide a professional approach to my work. My customers know that animal welfare and their pet’s needs are my top priority. Each animal is treated as an individual.

Clare Pet Sitter and Dog Walker FavershamI know it can be a stressful time for pets and their owners when they spend time away from home. Leaving them at a kennel or cattery, or even a boarding home, can be an extremely confusing and unpleasant experience for an animal that is taken away from both their home and their owner(s). I enjoy taking that stress away from pet owners by providing them with a peace of mind that their much loved pet(s) will receive the best possible love, care and attention.

Since Purrfect Animal Services of Kent launched, business has really taken off and I now enjoy the job that I have.  My next step is to look in to getting my own transport so that I can expand the business. I would like to be more flexible and provide my services in rural locations and other areas of Kent.

www.purrfectanimalservicesofkent.co.uk

Don’t forget to follow Kiki and Luna on Instagram they’re the official mascots of Purrfect Animal Services of Kent

Pet Sitting. Dog Walking, Animal Care Faversham Kent

 

Startup Britain Bus Comes To Canterbury

Startup Britain Bus Comes To Canterbury

Startup Britain Bus Comes To CanterburyThe StartUp Tour is back! StartUp Britain and Natwest are touring an iconic 1966 Routemaster bus around 30 towns and cities this summer. The exciting thing is that on Monday 4th July from 10am to 4pm the Startup Britain Bus comes to Canterbury. The whole tour will provide free mentoring and advice to thousands of aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. This years’ national partners include the National Enterprise Network, British Library, Intellectual Property Office, British Library Business &  IP Centre Network and the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Plus, we are excited to play our part as a local supporter on this leg of the tour supporting business startups in Canterbury.

About StartUp Britain

StartUp Britain is a national campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, harnessing the expertise
and passion of Britain’s leading business ­people to unleash entrepreneurship across the UK. The
campaign is run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs think tank and supported by Natwest and 123 Reg.
Founded by eight entrepreneurs and launched in March 2011 by the Prime Minister, StartUp Britain is
completely private sector funded, and was launched in response to the government’s call for an
‘enterprise led’ recovery.

The Kent Foundation appoints New Chairman

New Chairman for Kent’s Leading Business Charity

The Kent Foundation, a Kent business support charity that helps young people starting out in business has a new Chairman. Elected at the Kent Foundation Board Meeting in January 2016, Julian Kirkness from Canterbury was delighted with his new role:

“Since discovering the Foundation in 2013 I have been keen to help drive it forwards in any way I can. I am honoured to become Chairman! AlthoughKent Business Support Charity Appoints Julian Kirkness as New Chairman Allan’s Chairmanship will be a very tough act to follow, I am confident that together with the team we have in place – both Trustees and Full Time Staff – we are in great shape to improve our service and continue to support and encourage young Kentish entrepreneurs. ”

Julian Kirkness is a successful businessman in the Digital Sector, specialising in software development. He has been a supporter of the Foundation since 2013 when he voluntarily attended an induction course to become a volunteer business mentor, he became Vice Chairman in 2015 and now actively mentors two Kent businesses.

The Kent Foundation recently celebrated 30 years of success in supporting young business people. With a flag-ship service that includes over 100 trained Volunteer Business Mentors it’s clear that the Foundation is an established and essential component for Kent’s Businesses. Equally, it is always looking to be relevant and contemporary, recently launching its own Kent Foundation Business Award as an accolade to successful young entrepreneurs of the County.

Retiring Chairman of 20 years, Allan Mowatt has left the Charity in good hand, in his final remarks Allan stated:
“I am convinced that we have a Board of all the necessary background and talents to carry on and develop further our work. I am also convinced that we have a Chairman in Julian who can lead that work forward.”

Free Business advice and support for Kent's young people

Canterbury Folk Festival – 27/28 June 2015

Canterbury Folk Festival (2)Canterbury Folk Festival 2015 is a FREE event hosted by Canterbury based young entrepreneur Petko Kolev. The Festival takes place in the Dane John Gardens on 27-28th June. Come along and enjoy this weekend music festival in the heart of Canterbury, there’s something for everyone!

– Local and national bands from the New Canterbury Scene
– Morris dancers
– Artisan food stalls
– Bar with local ales
– Art and craft makers and retailers
– Kids area with activities

Play your part…

Volunteers are an essential part of the festival, so here’s your chance to get involved. As a volunteer steward there are plenty of opportunities including site set up and break down, traffic control, venue management, artists’ reception, keeping it clean and many more.

To get involved or for further information contact: petko@canterburyfolkfestival.co.uk

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